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When do the Alpine passes open? A 2026 season guide

Opening and closing dates for the major Alpine passes in 2026. Stelvio, Gotthard, Grossglockner, Furka, and more. Updated as roads open.

Michael April 4, 2026 3 min read

The Furka Pass summit still under snow in winter, Goethe memorial wall visible — Photo Chriusha (Christian Kleis) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Most Alpine passes open between late May and mid-June, and close again in October or November. The exact dates depend on snowfall, avalanche risk, and how fast the road crews can clear a winter's worth of debris off a one-lane road at 2,500 metres.

Here's what I know for 2026, grouped by country. I update this page as dates are confirmed.

Season chart showing when each Alpine pass opens and closes

Austria

Austrian passes generally open earliest in the Alps. The snow line is lower on the eastern side of the range.

Pass	Elevation	2026 opening	Closing
Grossglockner	2,504 m	Early May (confirmed)	Early November
Timmelsjoch	2,509 m	Mid-June (typical)	Late October

The Grossglockner is a toll road (€46.50/car, €36.50/motorcycle in 2026) with fixed dates published each spring. It's usually the first high pass to open in the Alps and stays open until the end of the autumn holidays. For 2026 that's 2 November.

Italy

Italian passes in the Dolomites open early thanks to lower elevations and southern exposure. The Stelvio and the western Alpine passes open later.

Pass	Elevation	2026 opening	Closing
Stelvio	2,757 m	23 May (confirmed)	Mid-November
Passo Gavia	2,618 m	Early June (typical)	Late October
Passo Pordoi	2,239 m	Late April	Late November
Mortirolo	1,852 m	Year-round	—

The Stelvio's Italian side (from Bormio) typically opens before the South Tyrolean side (from Prato allo Stelvio). The confirmed date of 23 May is for the full road. One big change this year: the Gardena Pass closes to through-traffic from 1 September as a pilot project.

Switzerland

Swiss passes tend to open later and close earlier than their Italian or French neighbours. Exact dates are published by cantonal authorities 1–2 weeks in advance.

Pass	Elevation	2026 opening	Closing
Grimsel	2,164 m	Late May, early June	Mid-October
Gotthard (Tremola)	2,106 m	Late May, early June	Late October
Furka	2,429 m	Early, mid-June	Mid-October
Susten	2,224 m	Early, mid-June	Mid-October
Nufenen	2,478 m	Mid-June	Mid-October
San Bernardino	2,066 m	Late May	Late October

The Gotthard road tunnel is open year-round. It's the old Tremola cobblestone road over the top that closes in winter. PostBus runs mountain pass routes across the Central Alps from 20 June to 4 October 2026.

France

French passes in the Hautes-Alpes follow a similar schedule to Switzerland. The Pyrenean passes open earlier.

Pass	Elevation	2026 opening	Closing
Col du Tourmalet	2,115 m	Late May (typical)	Late October
Col du Galibier	2,642 m	Late May, early June	Late October
Col de la Bonette	2,802 m	Early, mid-June	Late October

The Galibier tunnel typically opens a week or two before the summit road. The Bonette loop road (Cime de la Bonette, the highest paved point in France) may open even later than the col itself.

How to check

Switzerland: the TCS (Touring Club Suisse) publishes a live pass status page updated daily. Also check alpen-paesse.ch for real-time webcams and conditions.
Austria: the Grossglockner AG announces dates on their official site each spring.
Italy: ANAS (the national road agency) publishes closures, but local comune websites are often more current.
France: check the département road services (inforoute05 for Hautes-Alpes, savoie-route for Savoie).

Mountain Passes tracks seasonal status for every pass in the database. You'll get a notification when a pass on your bucket list opens for the season.

The rule of thumb

Below 2,000 m: probably open by late April. Between 2,000 and 2,500 m: expect late May to mid-June. Above 2,500 m: mid-June at the earliest, and don't count on it until you see confirmation. When in doubt, check the webcams.

Last updated: 18 April 2026